NEW Multicultural Children’s Books October 2020

Colours of Us

4 years ago

Check out the latest multicultural children’s book releases! Some real gems this month, including some stunning graphic novels! Our favourite ones for October are Planet Earth (Babies & Toddlers), Julián at the Wedding (Preschool), All Because You Matter (Elementary School), Class Act (Middle School), and Apple (High School).

NEW Multicultural Children’s Books October 2020

Babies & Toddlers

Hello, World! Planet Earth
by Jill McDonald

“Light from the sun makes the moon shine”. With simple text and cheerful illustrations, Hello, World! Planet Earth is the latest book in the Hello, World! board book series that teaches toddlers all about our amazing planet Earth—with easy-to-understand facts about countries, continents, oceans, landforms, habitats, and Earth’s place in the solar system. Each page offers helpful prompts for engaging with your child. ~ Diverse – Babies & Toddlers

Happy Hair
by Mechal Renee Roe

“Full ‘fro, cute bow! I love being me! Smart girl, cool curls! I love being me!” Girls of all ages will love seeing strong reflections of themselves in this cheerful picture book celebrating the diversity of Black hair. With simple text and vibrant illustrations, Happy Hair is a great read-aloud to promote self-love from an early age. ~ African – Babies & Toddlers

Hello, Whale! // Hello, Bear!
by Sam Boughton

Little ones will love saying hello to all kinds of friendly undersea animals and woodland creatures in these delightful lift-the-flap books. Hello, Whale! and Hello, Bear! bring facts to life with vibrant illustrations, deft humor and memorable comparisons. With big flaps to lift and a fantastic double gatefold on the final spread, this book is sure to please young animal lovers! ~ Diverse – Babies & Toddlers

Preschool

Julián at the Wedding
by Jessica Love

In this radiant sequel to acclaimed Julián Is a Mermaid, Julián is excited to be part of a wedding — and he even makes a new friend! Julián and Marisol set off for some magic and mischief of their own, and when things take an unexpected turn, the pair learns that everything is easier with a good friend by your side. Julián at the Wedding is a joyful story of friendship and individuality . ~ Hispanic – Preschool

3 2 1 Awesome!: 20 Fearless Women Who Dared to Be Different
by Eva Chen

Instagram superstar and bestselling author of Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes shines a spotlight on 20 amazing women―including Sonia Sotomayor, Shirley Chisholm, Zaha Hadid, and more. With bold illustrations, 3 2 1 Awesome! is a sassy and fun counting board book, perfect for the youngest of budding feminists. ~ Diverse – Preschool

Also available: A Is for Awesome!: 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World

Ginger and Chrysanthemum
by Kristen Mai Giang

Cousins Ginger and Chrysanthemum are very close but totally different. Ginger is excitable and throws herself headfirst into any project. Chrysanthemum likes to plan and make lists. Planning Grandma’s birthday together is a pretty huge challenge. Ginger and Chrysanthemum is a sweet story that shows that affection is stronger than differences. ~ Asian – Preschool

My Rainbow
by DeShanna & Trinity Neal

Trinity, a Black transgender girl, likes to play with her siblings, her dolls, and her pet pig, Peter Porker. One day, she realizes that she needs long hair to express who she truly is. So her family takes a trip to the beauty supply store, but none of the wigs is the perfect fit. Determined, Mom leaves with bundles of hair in hand, ready to craft a wig as colorful and vibrant as her daughter. Written by mother-daughter advocate duo Trinity and DeShanna Neal, My Rainbow is a powerful story about showing up as our full selves. ~ African – Preschool

One Girl
by Andrea Beaty

Inspired by the global movement to empower girls through education, this lyrical story tells of one small girl who reads a book that lights a spark. She shares what she learns with her class, and the spark grows. The girl then writes her own story and shares it with girls around the globe, igniting a spark in them and lighting up the whole world. One Girl is a heartwarming picture book about the power of reading and how one child can change the world. ~ Diverse – Preschool

Elementary School

All Because You Matter
by Tami Charles

Part love letter, part anthem, All Because You Matter is a poignant and timely ode to Black and brown children everywhere. With rhythmic text and powerful illustrations, this picture book reassures readers that through the joy and wonder of their first steps and first laughs, through the hardship of adolescent struggles, and the pain and heartbreak of current events, they always matter. An empowering and important book! ~ African – Elementary School

Sofia Valdez and the Vanishing Vote (The Questioneers)
by Andrea Beaty

Miss Greer asks her class to choose a class pet. The kids narrow it down to two options: Team Turtle and Team Bird. Sofia is named Election Commissioner, in charge of overseeing a fair and honest election. After a class-wide campaign, complete with posters, articles, and speeches, it’s time for the election! But there’s a tie, and one vote is missing. How will the class break the tie? And what happened to the vanishing vote? Just in time for the 2020 election, the bestselling Questioneers chapter book series continues with Sofia Valdez and the Vanishing Vote. ~ Hispanic – Elementary School

Ella Has A Plan
by Davina Hamilton

Ella is fed up with her quarrelling cousins. It’s Mummy’s big party – the whole family is here but the two pesky cousins are spoiling the cheer! Ella just wants them to party and play instead of ruining the day with their arguing. She comes up with a brilliant plan… Ella Has A Plan is a sweet story about family and creative problem solving. ~ African – Elementary School

From the same author: Riley Can Be Anything // Riley Knows He Can

The Most Beautiful Thing
by Kao Kalia Yang

Based on the author’s childhood experiences as a Hmong refugee, this moving picture follows Kalia’s family from the jungles of Laos to their early years in the United States. When Kalia becomes unhappy about having to do without and wants braces to improve her smile, her grandmother — who has just one tooth in her mouth — helps her see that true beauty is found with those we love most. With stunning illustrations, The Most Beautiful Thing is a tender intergenerational tale about hardship, family and love. ~ Asian – Elementary School

Sugar in Milk
by Thrity Umrigar

A young Asian girl joins her aunt and uncle in a new country. She longs for her culture and and her home, until one day, her aunt tells her an old myth, and a story within the story begins. A long time ago, when a group of refugees arrived on a foreign shore, the King tried to tell them that the land was full by showing them a glass full of milk. But the leader of the refugees dissolved sugar in the milk, showing the King that the refugees’ presence will sweeten life in his country. Sugar in Milk is a moving picture book about the power of diversity, acceptance, and tolerance. ~ Asian – Elementary School

Hockey Night in Kenya
by D. Mutinda & E. Walters

When a librarian gives orphan Kitoo a copy of Sports Around the World he becomes fascinated by an image of the Canadian national men’s ice hockey team. One day Kitoo finds a pair of beat up old roller blades and teaches himself to skate. He dreams of playing hockey like the men in his book. But you can’t play ice hockey in Kenya, can you? Hockey Night in Kenya is a delightful story about friendship and dreaming big. ~ African – Elementary School

Lubaya’s Quiet Roar
by Marilyn Nelson

Biracial Lubaya is happiest when she’s drawing, often on the backs of her parents’ old protest posters. But when upsetting news are shown on TV, her parents need the posters again. The family takes part in a march, and there, on one side of the posters being held high, are Lubaya’s drawings of kids holding hands and of the sun shining over the globe–rousing visual statements of how the world could be. Lubaya’s Quiet Roar is a stirring picture book about social justice activism and the power of introverts. ~ African – Elementary School

Oh, The Things We’re For!
by Innosanto Nagara

“Then they say, / we know what you’re against / End poverty stop war… / But okay / then what are you for?” Today’s kids are well aware of the many challenges today’s world is facing, from climate change to police violence, crowded classrooms to healthcare. Poetically written and boldly illustrated in Nagar’s signature style, Oh, the Things We’re For! offers a vision of a better world that is not only possible, but is here today if we choose it. ~ African – Elementary School

Above the Rim: How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketball
by Jen Bryant

Elgin Baylor was one of basketball’s all-time-greatest players—an innovative athlete, team player, and quiet force for change. One of the first professional African-American players, he inspired others on and off the court. But when traveling for away games, many hotels and restaurants turned Elgin away because he was Black. One night, Elgin had enough and staged a one-man protest that captured the attention of the press, the public, and the NBA. Expressively illustrated Above The Rim celebrates the life of an underrecognized athlete and activist. ~ African – Elementary School

The All-Together Quilt
by Lizzy Rockwell

A diverse group of kids and adults at a community center begin with lots of colourful fabrics and an idea. They design, cut, stitch, layer, and quilt. It’s the work of many hands, many hours, and many stories. And the result is something warm and wonderful they all can share. Inspired by the author’s intergenerational Norwalk Community Quilt Project, The All-Together Quilt is a heartwarming celebration of creativity and community. ~ Diverse – Elementary School

Middle School

Tristan Strong Destroys the World
by Kwame Mbalia

Tristan Strong, just back from a victorious but exhausting adventure in Alke, the land of African American folk heroes and African gods, is suffering from PTSD. But there’s no rest for the weary when his grandmother is abducted by a mysterious villain out for revenge. Tristan must return to Alke–and reunite with his loud-mouthed sidekick, Gum Baby–in order to rescue Nana and stop the culprit from creating further devastation. The second book in the New York Times best-selling and award-winning Tristan Strong trilogy, Tristan Strong Destroys The World is a well-paced action adventure that has enough depth to be enjoyed by older readers, too. ~ African – Middle School

Also available: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky

Becoming Muhammad Ali
by James Patterson & Kwame Alexander

Acclaimed authors Kwame Alexander and James Patterson join forces to vividly depict Cassius Clay’s life up to age seventeen in both prose and verse, including his family, neighbours and childhood friends in Louisville, Kentucky, his struggles in school, the racism he faced, and his discovery of boxing. After a thief stole his bike, Cassius began training as an amateur boxer at age twelve. Before long, he won his first Golden Gloves bout and began his transformation into the unrivaled Muhammad Ali. With dynamic artwork, Becoming Muhammad Ali captures the budding charisma of one of the greatest sports heroes of all time. ~ African – Middle School

Twins
by Varian Johnson

Twins Maureen and Francine Carter are best friends. They participate in the same clubs, enjoy the same foods, and are partners on all their school projects. But in 6th Grade Francine becomes Fran — a girl who wants to join the chorus, run for class president, and dress in fashionable outfits that set her apart from Maureen. The twins are growing apart and there’s nothing Maureen can do to stop it. Are sisters really forever? Or will middle school change things for good? Twins is a delightful graphic novel about about family, friendship and change. ~ African – Middle School

Class Act
by Jerry Craft

8th grader Drew’s grandmother constantly reminds him that he has to “work twice as hard to be just as good.” But what if he still isn’t afforded the same opportunities that his privileged classmates at the Riverdale Academy Day School take for granted? Drew begins to feel that his good friend Liam might be one of those privileged kids and starts to withdraw. Even their mutual friend Jordan doesn’t know how to keep the group together. Companion books to New Kid, the first graphic novel to win the Newbery Medal, Class Act tells another powerful, funny and important story about being one of the few kids of colour in a prestigious private school. ~ African – Middle School

The Last Mirror on the Left
by Lamar Giles

Missus Nedraw of the Rorrim Mirror Emporium still remembers the time freeze from The Last Last-Day-of-Summer, and how Otto and Sheed took her mirrors without permission in order to fix their mess. Usually that’s an unforgivable offense, punishable by a million-year sentence. However, she’s willing to overlook the cousins’ misdeeds if they help her catch an escaped prisoner. The Last Mirror On The Left is another funny and off-the-wall adventure featuring the Legendary Alston Boys of Logan County. ~ African – Middle School

High School

Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel
by Jason Reynolds

When his older brother, Shawn, is shot dead, Will feels a deep sadness. But in his neighborhood, there are THE RULES: No.1: Crying. Don’t. No matter what. No.2: Snitching. Don’t. No matter what. No.3: Revenge. Do. No matter what. But bullets miss. You can get the wrong guy. And there’s always someone else who knows to follow the rules… With haunting artwork, award-winning Long Way Down is now a gripping, galvanizing graphic novel. ~ African – High School

Apple: (Skin to the Core)
by Eric Gansworth

The term “Apple” is a slur in Native communities across the country. It’s for someone supposedly “red on the outside, white on the inside.” Eric Gansworth reclaims that slur in heartbreaking verse, prose and imagery. Apple tells the story of the author’s family, of Onondaga among Tuscaroras, of Native folks everywhere. From the horrible legacy of the government boarding schools, to a boy watching his siblings leave and return and leave again, to a young man fighting to be an artist who balances multiple worlds. This moving novel will stay with readers long after they finished it. ~ Diverse – High School

Daughters of Jubilation
by Kara Lee Corthron

In the Jim Crow South, white supremacy reigns and tensions are high. But Evalene Deschamps has other things to worry about. She has two little sisters to look after, an overworked single mother, and a longtime crush who is finally making a move. On top of all that, Evvie’s magic abilities are growing stronger by the day. Her family calls it jubilation—a gift passed down from generations of Black women since the time of slavery. And as Evvie’s talents waken, something dark comes loose and threatens to resurface… Daughters of Jubilation is a compelling fantasy novel that follows a Black teen as she finds her place among a family of women gifted with magical abilities. ~ African – High School

Zora and Me: The Summoner
by Victoria Bond

For Carrie and her best friend, Zora, Eatonville—America’s first incorporated Black township—has been an idyllic place to spend their childhoods. But when a lynch mob crosses arrives to pursue a fugitive and a grave robbery brings back the ugly sins of the past, the safe ground beneath them seems to shift. Not only has Zora’s own father decided to run against the town’s trusted mayor, but there is also a heartbreaking family loss, a friend’s sudden illness, and the suggestion of voodoo and zombie-ism in the air. The finale of the acclaimed trilogy, Zora and Me: The Summoner explores the end of childhood and the bittersweet goodbye to Eatonville. ~ African – High School

Also available: Zora and Me // Zora and Me: The Cursed Ground